04 - MY ZOOM NOTES - READ IF YOU WANT

MY ZOOM NOTES:

This was what I had penned to speak about at the Zoom session. These are based on my personal life time experiences.Take it or leave it 

READ ONLY IF YOU WANT

RAMBOS WORDS OF WISDOM,

- Albeit Long winded I agree

- Lesson Learnt "Less is More"

1. My interactions with friends on what app suggests the Most Common Health problems especially in men are
2. - Blood Pressure 
3. - Diabetes
4. - High Cholesterol 
5. - Memory Loss
6. - Stroke
7. I say all of them are linked. And that is what this Zoom session is all about
8. Please tell me which of the four health issues you have now
9. I have no secrets to share but only what every one knows already but don’t bother with their knowledge
10. I am no doctor but I am definitely an Engineer by Birth and believe in rationalising information logically. Believe in action & reaction & cause & effect
11. What I wish to share is what I have learnt about health in a life time of 74 years (almost 75) this December
12. Believe it or not, in these 74 years I could have died 8 Times. So assuming I was a Cat this is my last chance. Any way I am not going to talk about that. That is another story which I plan to do a Pod Cast with my Dr Friend and Mentor Dr Sengupta, a Retired Orthopaedic surgeon who has been pestering me to publish my second book on this.
13. Guess why I would have died ? Medical Botchups and Useless doctors. Having Said that I am alive today because of the small percentage of “TRUELY GREAT DOCTORS” who are there to care sick people. Another story for another Day.
14. Until age 54 , I did not care which doctor I saw until I had my Brain stem stroke in 2000.
15. God I felt so stupid not knowing what hit me & why I had become a vegetable overnight. I won’t go into this either as that is another long story
16. But since year 2000, Dr Darrel Weinman who was my GP was a God send, a neurologist from Sri Lanka a genius of a man who was practicing as a GP in Sydney as his qualifications were not recognised in OZ (Pity). Unfortunately he passed away at age 84 in 2017 it took me another18 months to find my new GP 
17. Another God send. Dr Vasudha Sritharan, a Tamilian Lady doctor Anands age about 35 years old. There were about ten or more doctor in this Victoria Clinic I could have chosen. Yet I was attracted  to her like a magnet. So I told reception I want to see that lady doctor. I said Hello Doc. I must tell you I have a very very complicated medical history and it is up to you if you want me as a Patient.
18. Guess what she said “You are my dads age and I will look after you like I will look after my Dad.” There was an instant Bond there. So I was not going to be a NUMBER
19. One thing I feel bad about is I am placing so much responsibility on her young shoulders.
20. Before I forget, I have to thank my Young  Niece Naj I got to know through SMULE who sent me a message about “Dying Empty” Meaning not to take thoughts and ideas that could benefit society at large to the grave. Thanks Naj for steering me in the right direction
21. Some of you might think I am being Morbid. Let’s be truthful only thing that is guaranteed in Life is DEATH. So might as well be prepared for it. Having cheated death 8 times I have almost been there and back
22. Now Here is a question for you: 
23. Would you agree the Richer you get the more unhealthy you are ?
24. Poor People “Eat to Live” and the wealthy “Live to Eat” because they can afford it ( Not all but what I am alluding to is Money allows you to indulge yourself
25. How many times we would have watched movies on TV late into the night and gone out in the car looking for a Pizza shop or McDonald or a Coffee shop at 1.00am. 
26. We are what we eat.
27. In fact we are what we “Eat and Drink”
28. My Mothers Mantra “ Everything in Moderation” and I am so happy our son Anand has grasped this Mantra.
29. At school I remember the skinny scrawny chaps were from Poor families and all the fat fellows were children of wealthy parents ( of course not all and there are exceptions)
30. Can you remember a fat fellow winning any running race ? No why because he is carrying too much baggage
31. Understanding Thirst and Hunger
32. After you eat, it takes about six to eight hours for food to pass through your stomach and small intestine. Food then enters your large intestine (colon) for further digestion, absorption of water and, finally, elimination of undigested food. It takes about 36 hours for food to move through the entire colon.
33. Once the stomach is empty you start to feel hungry which is almost every six hours, This explains Breakfast at 6.00am Lunch at 12.00noon and  dinner at 6.00pm 6.00am starts were for farmers who started working at first light on their farms before it became too hot.
34. Office Goers in Metros shifted Breakfast to 8.00am Lunch to 12.00pm four hours later Evening tea with snacks at 4.00pm and dinner at 8.00pm after a few scotches or glasses of wine and beer.
35. So 3 meals a day at 6 hours interval became 4 meals a day at 4 hours interval
36. As if this was not enough they even had a supper after dinner consisting of fruits, desserts ice creams and a cuppa
37. Do you think we city dwellers are eating too much ?
38. We have our meals whether we are hungry or not and large volumes of food too.
39. Thirst: when we are thirsty our body is telling us it is a bit dehydrated and needs water
40. During working hours in the Office the minute you feel thirsty you reach out for a can of soft drink or make yourself a cup of coffee or tea and grab a few biscuits too.
41. 1980 to 1988 my first Job in Sydney as an acoustic engineer, the office had a Coffee machine jars of cookies and lollies and milk in the fridge. I was drinking at least 8 cups of coffee a day and that too double strength and black with two sugars
42. In 1988 At a Party a Doctor friend brought out his BP Machine from the car to check another friend who said he was feeling dizzy. His BP was OK. I stuck my hand out. Guess what my BP was 186/115. The very next day I was swallowing BP pills Tenormin later Capoten and later Avopro
43. When it comes to medicines I draw a Blank. I hated chemistry and bio chemistry and had zero inclination to figure out what I was swallowing. I have heard terms like Beta Blockers but have no clue what that is about.
44. Diagnosis for high BP was STRESS
45. Ask you doctors to explain Stress & Strain and see what they have to say
46. Stress and Strain are not truly medical terms but borrowed from engineers. Concrete for example is very good for taking high levels of compression stress hence used in building columns to carry enormous dead loads. Strain on the other hand  is what happens tom a rubber band when you stretch it. It is said to be in strain or under tension. Prestressed Concrete used in long span bridges is where the bottom sections of large concrete beams are fitted with steel cables that are pretensioned compressing the lower section of the beam and this allows the beam of same cross section take huge loads without buckling.
47. I developed a severe itch on my forehead this year and guess what the diagnosis by my dermataolgist was . STRESS. I said I have never had anything like this in 74 years and I am least stressed now. Two months of applying medicine recommended the itch on my forehead is sill there
48. Body Fluids: Who can tell me what percentage of the Human body weight is made up of Fluids ? Body fluids are liquids within the human body. 
49. In lean healthy adult men, the total body water is about 60% (60–67%) of the total body weight; it is usually slightly lower in women (52-55%).
50. Blood Volume:  the blood volume is about 78 ml per kilogram (about 6.7 litres for a man weighing 86 kg), and the loss of any part of this will initiate certain cardiovascular reflexes.
51. Plasma is 90 percent water and makes up more than half of total blood volume. Other 10 percent is protein molecules, including enzymes, clotting agents, immune system components, plus other body essentials such as vitamins and hormones.
52. So a man weighing 80kgs has 60% water which weighs 48 kilos
53. One Litre of water weighs 1 Kg as you all know
54. So 6.0 litres of blood weighs 6.0 kgs
55. So a man weighing 80kilos has 48 kilos of body fluid and 6 kilos of blood. Total 54 kilos out of 80 = 67.5% of Body weight
56. Adult humans are 60 percent water, and our blood is 90 percent water.
57. How long can you live without Food ?
58. How long can you live with our water ?
59. Did you know a human being can live for as long as one month without any food but cannot survive for more than three days without drinking water.
60. I lost a very good friend Solomon and he was only 50 years old He was doing a second job cleaning offices and collapsed and died of a massive heart attack and his wife was vacuuming the next room and did not hear a thing. She was so wrecked that she went on a 40day fast with no solids but just water. Was hospitalised and we did not believe she will pull through. She did not eat a morsel for 40 days she must be around 80 now survived and in great health
61. Now tell me what does the body need more?  Food or Water ?
62. THE TREE:  I asked you all to send me a Photo of a TREE that you thought was awesome and to write an article or a Poem on your Tree. Five people obliged with photos and only my wife Mithu shared her thoughts about the tree. The best Tree Video came from my older sister in London Dr Sharmila. Absolutely awesome TREE. Full of Life
63. Give me a minute so I can show you the tree
64. What does this Tree suggest ? 
65. The TREE: 
66. I have a huge gum Tree I can see from my bed room window every morning on waking up and doing stretches holding my window sill
67. What do you see in the screen behind me ?  
68. the Huge tree is ALIVE. Swaying & Dancing with the breeze. Foliage is lush green. The tree looks Happy to me
69. The Human Body is Nothing but a moving TREE. ( I know you will be shaking your heads in disagreement)
70. Stand up where you are & Close your eyes: What do you see ? Nothing. 
71. Yet your memory tells you that you have a body or torso also known as Trunk. Why Trunk because our bodily functions are no different from a Tree Trunks.
72. Nature decided that Trees will be rooted & grounded in one place and have to do what is necessary to find nutrients in the soil below to grow and survive. The same Gum tree just twenty feet away grows at different rate and looks different. This depend on the soil under the tree providing the nutrition
73. Mammals have the freedom to move so the feet cannot be used to absorb anything from mother earth & the reason they have mouths to feed themselves to nourish their bodies
74. What happens inside our body and inside a tree trunk is pretty similar metabolism.
75. Absorbs nourishments and distributes it to the body as a whole depending on requirements
76. Now if the human Chest is the Trunk of the Tree, Imagine your BRAIN as the branches and the luscious  leaves of the tree. Except as we are moving creatures the brain is encased so we do not spill our brains and damage or lose brain cells. 
77. The luscious leaves in a huge tree represents the human brain cells to me
78. What does the tree require to stay alive?. 
79. Water, Nitrogen and Carbon dioxide for photo synthesis and nutrients. 
80. Nature decided that all moving creatures require Oxygen and breathe out Carbon dioxide. This way there is a balance in nature and living creatures do not have to compete with the trees and plants that need CO2.
81. The Human Brain is the Control Centre of the Human body as we all know.
82. The Brain Communicates with the rest of the body through the nerves. 
83. When you have pain somewhere the Brain is saying hey that part of the body is cut or bleeding or broken so protect it and let it heal . 
84. Imagine if we did not experience any PAIN most of us will have crippled bodies, as we would not have paid any attention and not even realised we have lost a leg or a hand or a finger.
85. So when you experience Pain SMILE and Thank Almighty  for it and not Complain
86. The HUMAN BRAIN and all cells in the human body need two main things to survive
87. OXYGEN & SUGAR
88. Oxygen and Sugar get delivered to the Brain and all Parts of the Body by BLOOD besides every nutrient the body needs
89. I am looking at my last Blood test report and see the following listed under general chemistry
90. Sodium, Potassium, Chlorine, Bicarbonates, Urea, Createnine, Calcium, Magnesium, Phospate, Iron etc etc etc
91. So the Human metabolism or what happens in the trunk of our body is to ingest all we eat absorb everything the body needs and discard the excess and unnecessary components of what we eat
92. We humans take our metabolism for granted and think we can eat and drink what we want and when we want and expect the metabolism to take care of everything, 
93. To be truthful we do not even think about it we take our bodies for granted
94. The Plumbing of the human body: Take a look at a high rise apartment building There could be say 12 floors and on each floor there could be ten flats
95. The entire apartment building has a network of Cold water pipes delivering water to each and every tap in every apartment in baths toilets and kitchens
96. In addition to this we have copper pipes for hot water of smaller cross section
97. Now water pressure is not adequate to take the water up 12 floors above ground level so may be on the seventh floor there is a plant room and in the plant room we have a PUMP and what does this pump do pumps the water at higher pressure to reach the highest levels. 
98. PAUSE. Give me a second to change the background
99. The Human Heart is the Pump and Normal Blood pressure is 120/80. Mm/Hg ( milli meters of mercury) This has been recently revised to 140/90 systolic pressure/ diastolic pressure
100. Systolic pressure is the positive pressure required to pump fresh aerated blood from the lungs to the entire body through the arteries
101. Diastolic pressure is what is required to pull used blood from all parts of the body through another network of blood vessels called the veins
102. Arteries: Arteries as you know are hard walled tubes like garden hoses.
103. Aorta: The main artery leaving the heart with oxygenated blood is about one inch in diameter and about a foot long. In fact larger than a garden hose to start with
104. All arteries  are actually a tube inside a tube so even if the inner wall ruptures you wont bleed to death internally. 
105. These arteries become smaller and smaller and are called capillaries and at the fag end these fine hair like capillaries are like perforated tubes and blood just OOZES out and is absorbed feeding the brain cells or the cells in the muscles and organs. 
106. BLOOD SUPPLY TO THE BRAIN: There are two vertebral arteries in the neck the left and right vertebral arteries that supply blood to the brain stem and two carotid arteries that supply blood to the main brain
107. The Brain stem is like your Computers CPU or RAM 
108. the Main brain is the Hard disk of the computer where all information is saved
109. Human body is the most fascinating piece of engineering
110. In engineering we use stand by equipment in case the main one fails we call them stand bye
111. We have two eyes, two ears, two nostrils, two lungs, two kidneys, two hands and two legs so we can survive even when one is damaged
112. Even the brain has the left and the right hemisphere
113. BP, Diabetes, Cholesterol,Memory Loss and stroke are all linked to blood flow in the arteries
114. What is BP ? When the standard Blood pressure of 120/80 (now revised to 140/90) is not adequate to push blood to the capillaries in then extremities of the body, the Brain tells the heart to pump harder resulting in higher pressure
115. Now what are then reasons for BP:
116. Main reason is DEHYDRATION. Less water in the blood making the blood thicker and more viscous
117. Second reason is BLOCKAGES in the arteries, reducing the cross section of the arteries requiring more pressure to squeeze the blood through
118. Cholesterol deposits are the main reason for blockages or arteries
119. High Cholesterol is also caused by dehydration of the blood for prolonged periods.
120. Since 1980 I have been drinking one scotch a night. Never a second drink as I was thinly driver and had to guarantee the safety of my two precious passengers in the car wife and son. Believe it or not my Cholesterol has never been more that 2.2 all my arteries are squeaky clean
121. Blood Carries water and sugar to all parts of the Body
122. Diabetes: is when there is too much sugar in the blood
123. The Brain cells cannot live without oxygen or sugar.
124. Ten minutes without Oxygen Brain cells die
125. Hypoglycemia commonly causes brain fuel deprivation, resulting in functional brain failure, which can be corrected by raising plasma glucose concentrations
126. Very Low Blood sugar often caused by too much insulin can lead to a coma which can be quickly reversed by an injection of Glucose called Glucogon
127. If your blood sugar drops below 70 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL), you may have symptoms, such as feeling tired, weak, or shaky. If your blood sugar drops very low (usually below 20 mg/dL) and you do not get help, you could become confused or drowsy or even lose consciousness and possibly die.
128. Cholesterol Deposits in arteries are directly linked to fatty diet
129. It is wrong to assume vegetarians cannot get cholesterol problem because of ghee and fried foods consumed
130. Too much sugar in the blood results in sugar deposits in the fine capillaries min the brain, the eyes, and feet etc. These sugar deposits prevent blood flow to the cells resulting in slow cell death causing memory loss, causing retinal detachments in the eyes, and neuropathy in then feet
131. BELIEVE IT OR NOT all this can be avoided by ensuring we do not get dehydrated
132. Say you have high blood sugars drink a litre of water there by increasing the volume of blood and lowering the parts per million of sugar in the blood
133. REMEMBER All alcohol, coffee and tea etc are all DEHYDRANTs
134. Not drinking water at nights because you have to get up in the middle of the night to Urinate is a very very bad idea. Pass urine before going to bed and drink at least one large glass of water before going to bed. Also on waking up don’t just jump, out of bed wake ups slowly and grab your water bottle and sip away and get up slowly
135. Food as we age our lives become sedentary and we do not need too many calories.
136. If your dog needs only one meal a day why do we need 3 to 4 meals a day?
137. Last five years I eat two meals a day and that to not big sit down means
138. Brunch at 11.00 am and early dinner around 7.00 pm giving an 8 hour gap
139. Fasting : 7.00pm to 11.00am is a good solid 16 hour break from eating allowing all organs a break a break of min 14 hours is read
140. In between meals you can have fruits and nuts coffee and tea and don’t forget Water
141. STROKE: Understanding stroke
142. Two types of stroke
143. Haemorrhagic Stroke & Ischemic Strokes
144. Haemorrhagic Stroke is when due to very high blood pressure some capillaries at the extremities rupture and bleeds filling all cavities in the brain intuit area and this blood clots Randall the brain cells around the blood clot dies within about ten minutes
145. Ischemic Strokes: this is when an artery gets blocked and parts of the brain get no blood killing brain cells in that region
146. Basically drinking watering avoiding dehydration and to eat to live are the key factors to good health
147. Summarising my Common sense assumptions
148. The Tree and me and plumbing in a high-rise building are the same concept
149. Water is most important for the Body. Too much alcohol, coffee & tea dehydrates and you wake up with a migraine inn the mornings. 
150. People who avoid drinking water at nights to avoid peeing have got it wrong if this happens day after day after day it is definitely affecting your brain cells
151. I suppose dehydration can cause constipation too at the bottom end
152. Dehydration can reduce total blood volume and raise sugar levels as parts per milli litre
153. Now you can understand why water is always served with meals in India
154. In 1976 if you went to a restaurant and asked for water they thought you were loony and there was a surcharge for water. In 2021 it is a fashion for youngsters to carry a water bottle around all day and keep sipping. Great Habit
155. I keep a water bottle in my study and another next to my bed
156. Never get out of bed as soon as you wake up as the brain may have received less blood in your sleep and the main cause for people feeling dizzy and falling and breaking bones etc. Wake up and lie there fr a few minutes sipping water
157. Two meals a day is more than enough for people not doing physical work for a living
158. I do not believe Fruit sugars affect your diabetes drastically. I eat heaps of fruits and nuts on a daily basis Bananas, kiwi fruits, paw paw water melon mangoes and mandarins
159. The longer the gap between dinner and breakfast the better. Minimum 14 hours required
160. Lately based on a dentists advice just before I lie down to sleep I take a swig of Pure Cold Compressed Coconut oil and swish out around in my mouth swallow it and fall asleep. Coconut oil prevents tooth decay and gum diseases or drymouth plus coconut oil is best for improving your memory and people with Alzheimer’s have benefitted a Tonne after adding coconut oil to their porridges every morning. ‘
161. There is no such this as Good and bad cholesterol. It is more a marketing Biff or myth
162. A Friend of mine in Sydney phoned me on a Saturday to say Ram I have lost my vision in my left eye. Guess what the cause was. He was so dehydrated that the veins in his eyes had dried up and used up blood accumulated in the eye making his vision impaired